HADRAT PÎR, GHAWSU’L-A’ZAM, ABU’L-ALAMAYN, AS-SAYYID, AS-SULTÂN,

ASH-SHEYKH, AHMAD AL-KABÎR, AR-RIFÂÎ, AL-HUSAYNÎ, AL-HASANÎ, AL-ANSÂRÎ

AND THE DIVINE ORDER OF RIFÂIYYA

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HÛ

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

We offer our gratitude and thanks to our Lord Allah, Who bestowed us with this limited breath;

Who brought us to this realm; Who inquired from us with His words, “Am I not your Lord?”

Who put us into the path of guidance; Who raises, feeds and watches over us;

Who teaches us the truth of His saints, His awliyâ; and Who is the Master, Almighty and Sultan of everything.

We ask our Lord Allah that our salâm and prayers reach the Master of

the universe Hadrat Muhammad , whose existence is the means of Your mercy on all creation,

whose name is written with Your name, who is the first teacher of divine providence “ilm-i ladunn”,

who is the source of morals, Sultan of the prophetic throne,

Sultan of the tower of sainthood “walâya”, and the one who could only be praised properly by Allah.

We also offer our humble, and deepest regards and submission to Those who manifested from the same Light, whose glory is announced by the Qur’ân,

by the word of Mustafa , and by the breath of The Perfect Human “Hadrat Insân”, namely, ahl-i bayt-i Mustafa and the dynasty of Murtaza,

and to the awliyâullah

who came through them.

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Some notes on this treatise

This treatise, which is a preparatory essay for a more comprehensive work about the life

and teachings of Abu’l-Alamayn Sultan Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî and the order of Rifâiyya, has been written with the encouragement and favor of our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî. We are grateful to him for letting us quote his writings, sharing pictures from his archive and for his careful reading of the treatise and contributions to it.

The teacher of saints is Hadrat Allah, the first book they read is Lawh-i Mahfûz, the Preserved Tablet, and their servant is Kalam-i Âlâ, the exalted pencil. Accordingly, the time and essence of Hadrat Pîr’s teachings is in accordance with the manifestation of this world. He announced his sainthood “walâya” before Hadrat Âdam (a.s.) stepped on the earth. Our Master announced his distinction and glory as written in esh-Shârânî’s work, ‘Tabaqâtu’sh-Shârânî’: “Before Hadrat Âdam, I am the first walî who came into this world and raised the two flags”. Thus, whatever we write here will be incomplete.

We cannot comprehend the importance of Hadrat Insân with “aql-i maash”, reason. A

perfect man, Insân-i Akmal, like Hadrat Pîr is only known by Hadrat Allah-Muhammad-Ali. Therefore, our essay is not even a drop from the ocean. In our point of view, the best sources of knowledge about Hadrat Pîr Janâb Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî are his successors. So, works concerning him, however and by whomever written, are not acceptable to us, unless they are affirmed by his successors.

Under the ten sections below, we attempt to relate the life, morals, surrounding legends,

teachings and speeches of Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî. After presenting the chain of the spiritual descent (silsila-i tarîq) of Hadrat Pîr, we attempt to relate the Rifâî order in his own words. We name some of his khalîfas and cite the names of the branches of the Rifâî order. In the last chapter, we state how the order came to Istanbul and to our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî through the Sayyâdiyya and Izzaddîniyya branches. Last but not least, we add the names and districts of the Dergâhs in Istanbul until 1925.

Certainly, this small treatise is incomplete despite our sincere intentions. We beseech people, who look for the truth and read this treatise, particularly ahlu’l-Haqq, to excuse our shortcomings; and we hope that they correct our mistakes. All faults are from us, forgiveness and favor are from Haqq, aid is from Haqq’s khulafâ, Hadrat Pîrs.

Aywallah HU Rifâî servants

May 24, 2007

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O Rifâî, certainly you are the descendant of Rasûl I am your helpless servant, at your gate hand in hand

Your words, ‘O my murîd do not be afraid” is testiment for us Help me, my Pîr, Sultan, O RIFÂÎ, help me...

Foreword

Tasawwuf is the ‘ilm, knowledge, that teaches us how to become Insân and makes us live with its sanctions. The source of this knowledge, which comes from Âdam to this day, is Hadrat Muhammad , who is the basis of all created beings.

In each epoch of the history of man, in all spheres of life, some people looked for the truth, and all truths that have been manifested, came from the same spring. Who perceived this, witnessed it; who could not, continued to walk towards it with desire. The leaders of the truth, prophets, and their inheritors, awliyâ, announced the same truth in accordance with the capacity of humankind. They had particular explanations to the ones who could receive this truth. It is this particular teaching that called tasawwuf, sûfiyya, ‘ilmu’l-haqîqa “knowledge of ultimate reality” or irfân “gnosis”. People who follow this path are called ahl-i tarîq, meaning who found a way to the truth.

The source and the first teacher of this truth, Hadrat Muhammad , honored this world

and completed the law (sharîa) in its perfect form and announced it to mankind. He also opened and taught the way, tasawwuf, in its perfect form, through which one can put his/her spiritual world in order. To fathom the purpose of creation, Hadrat Allah bestowed us all possibilities. He offered sharîa, which regulates the relations between servants and servants, servants and Allah, to people of reason; and tarîqa, which shows the way between servants and servants, servants and Allah, to people of heart.

‘Ilm-u ladunn “divine providence,” as it is expressed in the Qur’ân, was taught by Hadrat

Muhammad to Hadrat Ali and by him to his successors “khalîfas”, and by them to their khalîfas. The followers of a walî, who have the permission “ijâzah” to open a gate with their authority in the matters of Islâm, are named after that walî or Pîr, for example the “Rifâî order,” named after Sheikh Ahmad ar-Rifâî, is called “Rifâîyya”. In essence, tarîqa means “way”’ “path” or method and this way is called Tarîqat-i Muhammadiyya-i Âliyye, The Sublime order of Muhammadiyya. Yet, as a manifestation of Allah’s sultanate, each tarîq is called with the name of its Pîr. One of the names of this tarîq that came to us is called Rifâiyya.

By taking refuge in Janâb-i Haqq’s favor, and asking help of Hadrat Pîr Abu’l-Alamayn

as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Ahmad al-Kabîr ar-Rifâî al-Hasanî al-Husaynî al-Ansârî, who is the carrier of Allah’s favor and possessor of the tarîqa, I plead for this treatise to be the means in the practice of the verse “Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteously, and says, -I am of those who bow in Islam-?”

Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî, al-Qâdirî

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HÛ Dastûr Yâ Pîrunâ.

Dastûr Yâ Sheikhunâ.

Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm.

We had the audacity to relate about

The Guide of the way to Allah,

Beloved Walî of Haqq,

Omnipotente-hand of Hudâ,

Descendent of Rasûlullah,

Secret of Ali,

Master of the descendants of Rasûl

Sultan of the Walâya throne,

Head of Ahlullah

Cupbearer of the love sherbet,

Shah of the brave,

Master of masters, Sheikh of sheikhs, Axle of axles,

Eminent servant of Allah,

The ocean of Oracle Sea,

Master of ‘ulamâ,

The sea of sharia knowledge,

Bearer of two flags

The honorable Hadrat Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî.

With the entreaty of its acceptance…

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1. The birth, education, family and morals of Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî

One of the disciples “murîd” of Sayyid Abu’l-Wafâ relates an event, which had taken place before Hadrat Pîr (Master) came into this world:

One of the merchants in the village of Hasan said that: I reached a village near Firat and entered a house. There was an old man there. He said: “Help me to stand up; I smell the scent of Rifâî.” I asked: which Rifâî? “A brave, honorable, virtuous man who will come through Batîha” he answered and continued “these are his murîds; his seal is on their forehead.” When he was asked “what is his seal?” He said “what I see on their forehead is: How happy they are; and what beautiful place they will arrive.” Forty days before the birth of Hadrat Pîr, Mansûr Batâihî had seen Rasûlallah in his

dream. He ordered al-Batâihî: “O Mansûr! Forty days later Allah will give a child, named Ahmad ar-Rifâî, to your sister. As I am the chief of the prophets, he will be the head of saints. When he reaches to the age of education take him to Sheikh Aliyyu’l-Qârî al-Wâsitî. Take care of him, because he is beloved in the presence of Allah. Do not be negligent.” Forty days later Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî honored this world.

Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî (sanctified be his innermost secret) honored this world in 1118 (h.

512) in the first half of the month Rajab on Thursday, in the village of Ummu Ubayda, in Wâsit, Iraq. He came to this world from the line of Sayyid Ali Abu’l-Hasan bin Yahyâ al-Makkî in the house of Sheikh Sayyid Yahyâ. From his father’s lineage he is a Sayyid (who comes from the line of Imam Husayn), from his mother’s lineage he is both Sayyid and Sharîf (who comes from the line of Imam Hasan) and from the lineage of his mother he is also an Ansârî (who comes from the line of the companion of the Prophet “sahâba”, Hadrat Khalid ibn Zayd Abâ Ayyûb al-Ansârî). This is the lineage of Hadrat Pîr:

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His lineage from his father Sayyid Ali Makkî Rifâî:

*Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî (buried in Ummu Ubayda) *Sayyid Ali Makkî Rifâî (in Baghdad)

*Sayyid Yahyâ Nâkib (in Basra) *Sayyid Sâbit (in Ishbiliyya)

*Sayyid Ali Hâzim Abu’l-Fawâris (in Ishbiliyya) *Sayyid Abû Ali Murtazâ (in Ishbiliyya)

*Sayyid Abu’l-Fadâil Ishbilî (in Ishbiliyya) *Sayyid Rifâ’a Hasan Makkî (in Ishbiliyya)

*Sayyid Mahdî Makkî (in Makka) *Sayyid Muhammad Abu’l-Qâsım (in Makka) *Sayyid Hasan Qâsım Abû Mûsâ (in Makka)

*Sayyid Abû Abdullah Husayn Abdurrahman Rizâ Qatî’i Baghdâdî (in Baghdad) *Sayyid Ahmad Sâlih Akbar (in Baghdad)

*Sayyid Mûsâ Sânî (in Baghdad) *Sayyid İbrahim Murtazâ (in Baghdad)

*Imam Mûsâ Kâzim (in Baghdad) *Imam Jâfer Sâdiq (in Madina)

*Imam Muhammad Bâqir (in Madina) *Imam Zayna’l-Âbidîn Ali Sayyid-i Sajjâd (in Madina)

*Imam Husayn Shâh-i Shuhadâ-i fî dasht-i Karbala (in Karbala) *Amîru’l-Mu’minîn Shâh-i Walâya Sirr-i Hidâya Imam Ali ibn Abû Tâlib (in Najaf)

*Imam Ali’s wife and the mother of Imams, daughter of Rasûlullah Janâb-i Imâm-i Fâtima Zahra (in Madina)

*Janâb-i Habîb-i Adîb-i Kibriyâ, Sultân-i Anbiyâ Abu’z-Zahrâ, Abu’l-Qâsım Nabiyyunâ wa Sayyidunâ wa Shafîunâ wa Sanadunâ wa Murshidunâ wa Mawlânâ Ahmad-i Mahmûd-u

Muhammad Mustafâ .

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His lineage from his mother Sayyida and Sharîfa Fâtimatu’l-Ansâriyya:

From Hadrat Pîr’s grandmother’s father:

*Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî his esteemed mother

*Sayyida wa Sharîfa Fâtima Ansâriyya her esteemed mother

*Sayyida Râbi’a her father

*Sayyid Abdullah at-Tâhir *Sayyid Abû Ali Sâlim

*Sayyid Abû Ya’lâ *Sayyid Abu’l-Barakât Muhammad

*Sayyid Abu’l-Fath Muhammad *Sayyid Amîr Muhammad al-Astar

*Sayyid Ubaydullah as-Sâlis *Sayyid Abdullah *Sayyid Ali Sâlih

*Sayyid Ubaydullah al-A’raj *Sayyid Husayn al-Asghar

*Imam Zayna’l-Âbidîn Ali Sayyid-i Sajjâd *Imam Husayn Shâh-i Shuhadâ and the beloved one of Janâb-ı Zahrâ

Janâb-i Murtazâ and Mustafâ .

From Hadrat Pîr’s esteemed mother Sayyida and Sharîfa Fâtima Ansâriyya’s paternal grandmother:

*Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî

his mother *Sayyida and Sharîfa Fâtima Ansâriyya

her grandmother *Sharîfa Alawiyya

her father *Sharîf Hasan

*Sharîf Muhammad *Sharîf Yahyâ *Sharîf Husayn *Sharîf Qayyîm

*Sharîf İbrahim Tabataba *Sharîf Ismail

*Sharîf Ibrahim *Sharîf Husayn Musanna

*Imam Hasan-i Mujtabâ, Abu’sh-Shuhadâ, the beloved one of Janâb-ı Zahrâ and Murtaza and Janâb-i Muhammad Mustafâ .

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From Hadrat Pîr’s mother’s father:

*Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî his mother

*Sayyida and Sharîfa Fâtima Ansâriyya her father

*Sheikh Yahyâ Najjârî *Sheikh Mûsâ Abû’s-Sa’îd

*Sheikh Kâmil *Sheikh Yahyâ

*Sheikh al-Imam as-Sûfî Muhammad Abû Bakr Wâsitî *Mûsâ ibn Muhammad

*Muhammad ibn Mansûr *Mansur ibn Hâlid

*Hâlid ibn Zayd *Zayd ibn Mutt (Ayyûb)

*Hâlid Abû Ayyûb bin Zayd al-Ansârî an-Najjârî as-Sahabî, Mihmandâr-i Rasûlullah wa Sanjaqdâr-i Rasûlullah (in Istanbul).

Hadrat Ghaws-i Rifâî, core of the Âl-i Rasûl Who is a servant to your tarîq, becomes full light

Tie up your waist to the propriety of the Pîr, O TÂCİ Because of your ancestor, your guilt might be excused

Hadrat Sheikh Hayrullah Tâceddîn-i Rifâî

Ahmad ar-Rifâî was seven years old when his father passed away. He was then raised by

his maternal uncle Sheikh Mansûr al-Batâihî upon the spiritual command of Rasûlullah . He took care of his mother and brothers as well. When he completed his Qur’ân education and its memorization, he studied ulûmu’sh-sharîa. He studied Abû Ishaq ash-Shirâzî’s Kitâbu’t-Tanbîh on the Shâfî jurisprudence; however, the book was lost after the Mongol invasion. He studied Islamic sciences and received ijâza (madrasa Diploma) in jurisprudence from Shâfî ‘âlim Abû Bakr al-Wâsitî.

Having education in sharîa and tasawwuf and taking his khirqa (“Rag”: symbol of a

dervish’s vow of obedience to the rules of his order) from Sheikh Mansûr, he was submitted to Sheikh Ibnu’l-Qârî Abu’l-Fadl Ali al-Wâsitî in accordance with the command of Rasûlullah .

Ahmad ar-Rifâî ascribed himself to al-Wâsitî and after a while took his khilâfa. Sheikh

al-Wâsitî seated him on the throne of spiritual direction, “sajjâdatu’l-irshâd,” and announced his both esoteric “bâtinî” and exoteric “zâhirî” knowledge and gave him the name Abu’l-Alamayn, owner of the spiritual sultanate of the two worlds. Addressing to his dervishes he said:

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Take the hand of Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî and renew your vows, bai‘a. Had there not be the secret of the obedience to Rasûlullah’s commend, I would vow to him as well. Although I look like his sheikh, in truth, he is my sheikh.

Bai‘a is the oath given to the murshid or sheikh as representative of the founding walî, and the chain carries the founder back to Hadrat Ali and to the Prophet and Allah.

Hadrat Mansûr also said that: “I am his sheikh in post, but he is my sheikh in truth.” Sheikh Aliyyu’l-Qârî al-Wâsitî’s speech to his dervishes and Hadrat Mansûr’s words are strengthened by one of the great hadîth ‘âlims, Sheikh Izzeddin Ahmad al-Fârusî, in his work Nafkha. There, he reports from Sheikh Mansûr al-Batâihî’s sister’s son, Sheikh Badr, the following:

Sheikh Badr said that: One day, I was listening to my grandfather, Sheikh Mansûr’s speech. In the end of the lesson I taught “Alas! If I could touch my sheikh, and by touching that sacred light my dirty body could benefit from this light. While I was thinking like this, the sheikh called me “O Badr come!” I ran towards him and he slapped me while shouting. Each of us fell down. When I regained my consciousness, the sheikh was saying “yes, yes.” After he came to himself, he called me. I was crying. He asked me: “why are you crying?” I said “Why would I not? You slapped me and beated me down on the floor.” He said “when I called you “come, my son” divine anger came into existence and an arrow was shot towards you. With my slap I rescued you and pulled it on myself.” I gave him a hug and asked him about the wisdom of his answer “yes, yes.” He answered: “You know my sister’s son Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî. I saw him, reaching stages which I have never known and seen; and I was jealous of him. At that moment it was said to my heart: “O Mansûr, be well-mannered. He is our beloved. We might teach him the subtleties of the mystery however we like. He is the viceroy of the spiritual state of Hadrat Muhammad . He is the bride of the spiritual sultanate of the prophet, called Mustafawî country, and the sheikh of Hadrat Muhammad’s umma. He is your sheikh as well. You should say “yes”. It is said that “we are the possessor of everything” I answered “yes, yes”. This is what you heard. Sayyid Ahmad is my sheikh in creation. I am his sheik in khirqa.”

Hadrat Pîr was an âlim, having profound knowledge in all Islamic sciences. After his

maternal uncle al-Batâihî passed away (d. 540/1145), Hadrat Pîr became the head “post-nishîn” of the dergâh. He settled in the tekke in Ummu’l-Ubayda and occupied with his disciples’ guidance. His tekke was a place of seclusion for dervishes and a madrasa for ulamâ. He was an esteemed and beloved person among people because of his high esoteric and exoteric knowledge, of his beautiful morals, mild-mannered, and of his obedience to shar’iyya and of his perfection, kamâl.

Ibrâhîm al-Kârzûnî states in his Kitâbu’sh-Shajara:

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In the time of Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî, awliyâullah saw Hadrat Muhammad in their dreams. Sultan of the awliyâ, Hadrat Muhammad told them: “Sayyid Ahmad Ibnu’s-Sayyid Abi’l-Hasan ar-Rifâî is the sheikh of this umma and Sayyid of all awliyâ. Yâ Rabb, I love him, you too might love him.”

Another tradition from Rasûlullah is as following:

One of the friends of Hadrat Pîr saw Rasûlullah in his dream and asked him about Hadrat Pîr. The pride of the world says: “He has the sovereignty like sultans of the world who have sovereignty over their subjects and lands. If he sends one to somewhere else, he is the sovereign of the people’s life, property and children of the region.” Hadrat Pîr was medium height, brunette, with black eyes, well-looking, elegant, black-

bearded and tranquil. His clothing was simple. He wore a white turban which was not big. When he talked, his talk was majestic. When he remained silent, people asked him to talk. He was generous and patient. He kept his word, kept secret, veiled faults, satisfied hungry people, clothed poor people, visited patients, participated in funerals, shared the conditions of poor people, gave everybody advice, helped people in all kinds of their works, greeted people first when he met them, looked down while walking, and behaved modestly. He seldom talked, saying, “I am told to be silent.”

One of his khulafâs, Hadrat Sheikh Ya’kûb Karrâz, relates about the Âsitâna (central

dergâh) of Hadrat Pîr in Ummu Ubayda:

When our sheikh, Imâm Mansûr Batâihî passed away in 540 h., Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî was 30 years old. He was at the stage of guidance, irshâd. In his seventh year of irshâd, the number of his deciples, who withdrew into seclusion, was 70.000. In this seventh year, he started to enlarge the Âsitâna. Everybody in Batâih and Wâsit helped him with their body and property. The number of the arcades in 550 h. was 4000. It was founded in four circles, one wrapping the other. In the middle of the month of Shaban, the number of visitors was more than 100.000. Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî was trying to cover all their needs. In its arcade, everyday 20.000 disciples were coming together. In the morning and evening, they were setting the table and Hadrat Pîr was serving them with his family. He collected leftover breads in a basket and making them a meal with water. This was his meal.

Although the Âsitâna had an income more than the Abbasid ruler, he and his family had a poor and a modest life. All income was spent for poor people and the Âsitâna. During his life time, Hadrat Pîr had only two dresses. He was himself washing one of them in the creek and wearing the other one until the first one dried. He always liked simplicity. He had two daughters from his first wife Khadîja bint Abû Bakr al-Wâsitî an-Najjâr.

When his wife Khadîja passed away, he married Râbia; and they had a son, named Sâlih. However, Sayyid Sâlih passed away and did not marry; so, the lineage of Hadrat Pîr continued through his daughters. He had two grandchildren from Sayyida Fatima, named Ibrahim al-Azab

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(d. 609/1212) and Ahmad al-Akhdar (d. 645/1247) and eight grandchildren, two of which were female and the others male from Sayyida Zaynab. One of them, Izzaddin Ahmad as-Sayyad (d. 670/1271) is the founder of the Sayyadiyya branch of the Rifâiyya order. Rifâî families today live in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon.

Everyday, one takes the altitude with the sun of your prosperity Who becomes a servant to you O Hadrat Ahmad ar-Rifâî

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2. Silsila-i Tarîq (chain of spiritual descent) of our Master Hadrat Pîr Hadrat Sayyid-i Kâinat Janâb-i Muhammad Mustafâ Hadrat Shâh-i Walâya Imâm-i Ali’yya’l-Murtazâ (Q.A.W.) Hadrat Sheikh Hasan-i Basrî Hadrat Sheikh Habîb-i Ajamî Hadrat Sheikh Dâvûd-u Tâî Hadrat Sheikh Ma’rûf-u Karhî Hadrat Sheikh Sirrî-i Sakatî Hadrat Sheikh Junayd-i Baghdâdî Hadrat Sheikh Abû Bakr Shiblî Hadrat Sheikh Ali Ajamî Hadrat Sheikh Abû Ali Rûzabâdî Hadrat Sheikh Ghulâm bin Turkân Hadrat Sheikh Abû Fadl İbn Kâmah al-Wâsıtî Hadrat Sheikh Abû Fadl Ali Qârî al-Wâsıtî Hadrat PÎR Abu’l-Alamayn Ghawsu’l-A’zamu’l-Muazzam ash-Sharîf, as-Sayyid Sultân Ahmad ar-Rifâî. Qaddasallahu asrârahum. ................ Hadrat Sayyid-i Kâinat Janâb-i Muhammad Mustafâ Hadrat Shâh-ı Walâya Imâm-i Ali’yya’l-Murtazâ (Q.A.W) Hadrat Imâm-ı Hasan-i Mujtabâ (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm-ı Husayn-i Shâh-ı Shahîdân-ı Karbalâ (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm Zayna’l-Âbidîn (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm Muhammad Bâqir (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm Jâfer as-Sâdiq (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm Musâ Kâzim (a.s.) Hadrat Imâm Ali ar-Rızâ (a.s.) Hadrat Sheikh Mârûf-u Karhî Hadrat Sheikh Sirrî-i Sakatî Hadrat Sheikh Abu’l-Mafâhir Muhammad Ruvaym Baghdâdî

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Hadrat Sheikh Abu’l-Kâsım Sandusî Hadrat Sheikh Muhammad Ubay Kirmizî Hadrat Sheikh Abû Said Yahyâ Najjârî Hadrat Sheikh Abu’l-Mansûr Tayyîb Hadrat Sheikh Mansûr Batâihî Hadrat Pîr Abu’l-Alamayn Ghavsu’l-A’zamu’l-Muazzam ash-Sharîf, as-Sayyid Sultân Ahmad ar-Rifâî. Kaddasallahu asrârahum.

After Hadrat Mârûf-u Karhî upwards, this chain also reaches from Hadrat Hasan-i Basrî to Janâb-i Imâm Ali and to the master of the universe . Hadrat Pîr’s esteemed father’s lineage is also his chain of tarîqa. Thus, in the chain of Hadrat Pîr there is no one but Ahl-i bayt.

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3. The order of Rifâiyya

Hadrat Pîr sums up his tarîq with the words: “Our path is the order of Alawiyya and maslak-i Murtazawiyya (the way of Imam Ali), and the possession of this path is given to me today.” It is related from one of Hadrat Pîr’s khulafâ, Sheikh Ya’kûb Karrâz, that Hadrat Pîr told in the end of one of his speeches:

“Rasûlullah opened the gate of irshâd with his holy hand and submitted it to me in this epoch. Today is the day of Muhammadî-Rifâî Sultanate and the order of Alawiyya-Murtazawiyya. Allah might greet this sultanate’s and this order’s source Rasûl and his ahl-i bayt and fellows.” After this speech, he mentioned the twelve Imams and descended from his seat. It is said that the whole path consists of “adab”; each moment, each state and station has its

adab. Adab is in general, sûfî conduct or rules. It is also called huququ’t-tarîq, embracing both regulations concerning such matters as the inter-relationship between sheikh and aspirant and the rules for ritual. Moreover, adab is the total of all deeds and virtues. Adab is moral principles, generosity, preferring others to self, renunciation and self-sacrifice.

“Adab is a crown from the light of the Lord Wear that crown, be safe from all evil”

Adab Ya Hû

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It is impossible to walk in this path without love “mahabba or ishq”. The origin of the word “ishq” means ivy. As ivy covers the place it embraces, so does ishq to the heart it enters. That is why the severe love is called ishq. The phrase “ashaddu-hubb-But those of Faith are owerflowing in their love for Allah” in the Qur’ân also refers to ishq. The Qur’ân points to the verse “Allah loves them and they love Him” that love first comes from Haqq. Hadrat Ahmad ar-Rifâî says his disciples that to reach the love of Allah, one should continue dhikr (remembrance), reflect on Allah’s blessings and favors, strengthen the tie with friends of Allah, obey the command of Allah and pray to Allah for love. He said that “learn love from a candle. By its yellowness, tears and burning its body, it is the sheikh of lovers, âshiqs.”

“O the candle in tears, whose face is yellow The head of lovers suffering disasters

You are Farhad of the time, burning up and melting How long are you going to be far away from Shirîn’s talk?”

Hadrat Pîr teaches that all adab with this love is obtained through obedience to the Sunna of the prophet , whose ethical nature was the Qur’ân. The basic principle of this path is to be devoted to the Qur’ân and Sunna. A real dervish is the one who submits himself to the prophet

and who appropriates the position of worship as the highest position. Our Pîr says on this point:

Always, in speech, work, and morality and in each condition you should follow the moral teachings of the prophet . With this “adab” the spiritual world of human being is satisfied. Muhammad is the gate of compassion, “rahma”. The masters of piety “taqwa” enter from this gate. Our prophet with perfect decrees, wide politics and explorations, descent moral teachings and having exceptional “adab”, with pithy and fluent language, kindled the light of prophethood “nubuwwa” and opened the gate of the right way “hidâya” for humanity. Hadrat Muhammad is under the command of Allah both in form and sense; and nothing comes from him but everything manifests from Allah. He is in the state that the verse (wama ramayta iz-ramayta walâkinnallaha ramâ – It was not you, but Allah, when you threw) indicates. Because of this manifestation, he was free of his nafs. Who sees this truth in Muhammad and comprehends it, knows the source of this manifestation; thus, the truth reveals. He/she understands that the hidâya comes from Allah and that a human being cannot do anything, and so understands the secret of fate.

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The hidâya of Allah is the one that shows you all the truth and guides you to the way of Haqq. Hadrat Muhammad’s message will survive until the day of resurrection. All humanity is addressed with his shariat-i Ahmadiyya which annulled all the previous ones. It is a must to show respect to Hadrat Muhammad . He is the means between people and their Creator. He is the beloved of Allah; His messenger is the most perfect being of all created beings. He lets us know about Haqq, invites and directs us to Allah. Who follows him and reaches him, reaches Allah. Hadrat Ahmad ar-Rifâî said that the most excellent of mankind are prophets, and the

most excellent of prophets is Muhammad Mustafa . After prophets comes the ahl-i bayt of Rasûlullah :

Ahl-i bayt is a phrase meaning “people of the house”, or “family”, which refers to the household of Muhammad . It consists of his daughter Fâtima az-Zahra, his successor and son-in-law, Imam Ali, their two sons Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them all). With the above mentioned verse, known as the “Tathir verse”, Allah declares Ahl-i bayt as the persons purified by Him.

With the love of ahl-i bayt hearts are filled with light. To whom Allah gives deeds, to him/her He gives the love of ahl-i bayt, and observes him/her in every situation. This is the result of prophet’s law. Who loves Allah, loves his prophet and his ahl-i bayt.

Then, Hadrat Pîr emphasizes the love of saints, awliyâ:

Dervishes should speak of the great awliyâs with respect and gratitude. One should not attribute any of them superiority over the others. Allah gifted them with various degrees. No one knows that. One should not have any claim on this point. This is what “adab” requires.

جس 56ل !لب$ت 0/ط&ركم تط&$ر!&نم ل$ذ5ب عنكم !لر ا /ر/د الله

And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye

members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless. Q: 33:33

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Be close to them, you will get their blessings. They are the party of Allah “hizb-u ilâhî”. For them, there is no fear in the resurrection day. Do not be enemies of awliyâ because, enmity to them is like enmity to Allah. When awliyâ come to your aid they do not believe that it is from themselves, this is shirk. Rather, because of Allah’s love of awliyâ you might ask help from Allah through them. Since Allah loves them, making their love as a means, accepts your pleads. I recommend you to be in circles of them after you studied the religious duties. You cannot have the ultimate truth through study. It is all acquired through a kâmil sheikh’s guidance and sohbet, “mystical conversations.” That kâmil sheikh ties up attitude and words in his soul, nafs. Saints fear to show karâma (miracle worked by Allah through a person). They are like a bridge to the path of Haqq. People go to Allah through them. They are the people who do good deeds and who have ikhlas. Allah honored them with closeness to Himself and cut them off worldly ties. There is no veil on their hearts; they are reluctant to disclose the divine secrets they have.

Addressing to his desciples: Do not wish karâma and extraordinary things, because awliyâ conceal karâma as do women conceal menstruation. Always be at their gate and direct your heart to Rasûlullah . Ask help from Allah through your sheikh. Serve your sheikh sincerely and without asking any benefit. Always be with him in adab. Make yourself servant to him. Serve him a lot in his place. Do not talk behind him. Look at him respectfully. Do not talk a lot in the presence of him. Do not despise him. Always give good advice to your tarîq brothers and sisters. Be the one, unifying their hearts. Reconcile people. As much as you can, call people to Allah. Encourage people to enter the stage of faqr. Flourish your heart with the remembrance of Allah; establish your character with His thought. Walk together in the Sufi path. Enlighten your intention with genuineness and ask help from Allah. Be patient to disasters. Be pleased with Allah. In all situations say “alhamdulillah.” Greet Râsullullah as much as you can. If a desire or arrogance appears, fast for the sake of Allah. Grab the string of Allah tightly. Stay at home. Do not go shops or places for fun a lot. Know that who leaves entertainment, reaches the real entertainment and contentment. Treat your guests very hospitably. Be compassionate to your family, wife/husband, and the ones working for you. Prepare good deeds for the next world. Direct your worldly works to the next world as well. All my advices are to you, to the ones in my tarîq, to my brothers in tarîqa, to all Muslims and lovers, whose number I ask Allah to increase. Allah might forgive their open/secret, small/big, all sins. I repent. Allah is verily He, the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. Hadrat Pîr warns us to respect ulamâ and observe the law as well. For him, Islam is a

whole with its exterior and interior. Interior is the core of exterior, exterior is the envelope of interior; if there were no exterior, there would not be interior. As heart cannot be without body, so the body decays without heart. Thus, to think of tarîqa without sharîa is impossible.

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Likewise, Hadrat Pîr says that “whatever the path you follow, secret or open, depend upon sharîa.”

You should respect ulamâ and fuqahâ as you respect awliyâ and ârifs. There is only one way. They are heirs of the exterior of the sharîa. The union with Allah is depended upon the fulfillment of sharîa. It is impossible to benefit rituals or worship which do not depend upon sharîa. Thus, do not neglect the rights of ulamâ. You should think of them kindly. Some Sufis see themselves people of interior and them people of exterior. You should not think like this. Islam is such a whole religion that interior is in exterior and exterior is the envelop of interior, they unite each other. If there were no exterior, interior would not exist. If there were no interior, there would be no need for exterior. Would there be a heart, if there were no body? Heart is the spirit of body.

He describes the path to Haqq as follows:

I contended with my soul, and saw the truth on the path I followed that there is no way to Allah but, the deeds stem from Hadrat Muhammad’s Sunna. To follow Haqq’s path is like to go from one land to the other. The road is hilly. Gardens are seen. But, the land to go is still far away, and these beautiful places are just stops. Who enjoys the rest areas and stays there or gets tired in a hill and stops; in other words, if one gets tired of difficulties or becomes busy with gardens and stay there, he/she cannot arrive at the targeted place. Haqq’s way is the same. If the difficulties do not prevent him/her and the pleasures of desire do not occupy him/her, he/she arrives at his/her purpose. When one wins favor in people’s eyes, this liking turns him/her from Allah; or if one cannot bear the difficulties of the path, he/she is returned by Allah. In these situations, it is doubtless that all intention and purpose is lost. On the other hand, if one does not look at the difficulties or pleasures of the path and bear all disasters that follow the path, he/she receives the decree of supreme achievement “fawzan azîma.” Nevertheless, this path could only be taken with the supervision of a murshid. Murshid or

sheikh should have taken spiritual education, be able to guidance, have capability and ijâza, and his spiritual descent should reach Hadrat Muhammad . Hadrat Pîr states about murshids that:

Be careful about the sheikh that he must be perfect, kâmil. His state of perfection or deficiency transmits from heart to heart to his dervishes. If sheikh’s state is perfection, than disciple becomes perfect and advances. If sheikh’s state is deficiency, than disciple becomes deficient and declines. On this path one cannot develop his spiritual world and reach perfection without being

alongside and under the supervision of a kâmil, perfect sheikh, without breathing the spiritual weather in his circles and without assimilating his behavior. As fruits ripen with the light they receive from the sun, so people become mature in the spiritual climate of strong personalities. Since sheikh passes from the valleys full of traps and makes others pass, he becomes the expert of the issue and gains ma‘rifa, intuitive knowledge. Ahmad ar-Rifâî explains ma‘rifa as follows:

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Ma‘rifa is like the tree that one plants in his garden. Its essence is precious, its branches are full of sweet fruits, its leafs are beautiful, its owner is content with the beauty of its flowers, compassionate to it because of its worth. He/she prevents calamities that might come to it and expels evils. It is like the tree of ma‘rifa that Allah plants into His believer servants’ heart.

Certainly, for heart to be a palace for the Sultân, it should be purified, and this could only be done with a kâmil murshid, perfect sheikh.

“Take out everything from your heart for, Haqq manifests in it Sultan does not enter a palace if it is not flourishing”

Heart, “kalb” being the center of kashf (vision) and ilhâm (divine inspiration) is the place of Haqq’s tajallî (manifestation):

“Ka’ba is the structure of Halîl-i Âzer Heart is the structure of Haqq and the place where Allah looks at”

According to him a real Sufi who did train his soul and purify his heart is:

the one who is far away from suspicions and showing the oneness of Allah in his/her personality, character and actions. Because, he/she knows with a peremptory knowledge (‘ilm al-yaqîn) that “There is no thing like Him.” Sufi obeys Sunna of the Prophet . He/she should not spend his/her time planning his/her with his/her nafs. He/she knows that Haqq is the organizer. He/she does not take refuge in someone, and does not ask help from someone, but Allah.

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I am boundlessly hopeful at the door of your favor Help me, Yâ Ghaws-i Rifâî Ahmad

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4. Some Guidance from Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî gave guidance to everybody from the ones around him to the

Abbasid Khalîfa al-Mustanjid Billah al-Abbâsî. Some of his guidance is as follows: Never forget death. For not remembering death causes negligence. O children of Âdam, death will release your secrets. The day of resurrection will give your news. Death will destroy the curtains behind which you hide yourself. If you commit a sin, small/big, think about who betray. Be well aware of the One Who bestowed your life. Do not undermine your small sins, you do not know with which sin you betray Allah. Children of Âdam, have you ever betrayed, and by remembering Allah’s repented? Did you help the poor by giving to them from your possessions? Have you ever forgiven the ones who oppressed you? Have you ever pitied the ones who were disloyal to you? Did you educate your children? Did you please your neighbors? Allah does not look at people’s appearance or ancestry, but at their hearts. Allah might be pleased with people because of their hearts.

From another sermon:

He who knows himself does not claim superiority. What do you take pride in? Your father? Most of the children of our father Adam (a.s.) are infidels. Likewise, many children of awliyâ are infidels. Of your knowledge? Satan read all pages of existence. Yet what is his disposition? Of property? Hârun died with the calamity of property. Of possessions? Did Pharaoh’s possession have any service to him at the time of divine wrath? On the other hand think of this: By turning to Allah İbrahim alayhissalâm was saved from fire. Mûsâ alayhissalâm overcame the Pharaoh. After saying (la ilâha illâ anta subhânaka innî kuntu mina’z-zâlimîn), Yûnus alayhissalâm saved his honor and dignity. By submitting himself to the Divine qadâ, Yûsuf alayhissalâm’s trust did not turn out to be useless.

One of his sermons to the young:

O son, doubtless, world is a dream and everything in it will perish. Oh son, world belongs to those who want it, and the other world belongs to those who want it. Never lie. O son, you consume your food and use up your clothes. The day you will be far away your beloved ones will come. The world is weakness and fatigue; after the world is death

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and grave. Had inhabitants of the world were lasting; their dwellings would not be perished. So, tie your heart to Allah, stay away from everything, but Allah. In all situations surrender Allah. Be modest amongst poor. Do not stray from what is right in sharia. Keep your intention free of suspicions. Impede your heart to slant towards people. Eat dry bread and drink salty water at the gate of Allah; but do not eat meat or honey at other’s gate. In your living, cling to a reason that is halal in sharia, and leave tricks. O my son, avoid yourself to break hearts of poor people, visit your relatives, be generous to them. Be modest to ones who act unjustly to you. Do not visit viziers and sultans a lot; that humiliates you. Increase your visits to poor people and tombs. Talk to people pleasantly, and according to their level. Make your habits beautiful and meet with people in a proper way. Stay away from ignorant. Meet the needs of orphans and be generous to them. Visit abandoned poor people a lot and do it regularly. Serve widows. Be compassionate that you find compassion. Be with Allah that you see Allah with you. Be sincere with your companion in all your words and acts. Try to help people in the way to Haqq.

Addressing his dervishes:

I have not seen a way to Allah closer and easier than exalting His decrees, by being compassionate to His creatures and obeying to the sunna of Rasûlulllah with obedience, poverty, and modesty. Our way is the way of piety. Who blend showiness and bad intention to his/her acts goes away and separates from us. My way is a religion without bid‘a, an effort not accepting laziness, an act without showiness, a heart not occupying with things other than Allah and a nafs restrained from desire.

The most superior deed is possessing high morals according to Hadrat Pîr:

High moral character is the most superior worship after the fards. For a servant, the best thing is to stand at the gate of servitude. When praying to Allah, one should be modest, in fear and deep reverence to Him and should confess his/her destitute. If you separate yourself from your deeds and nafs and be modest at the gate of Allah, you might be the object of His favors. If you purify yourself from meaningless and useless words, each of your word ascends to the highest heaven. Watch your words. Save your heart from everything that brings the wrath of Allah; and use your tongue with adab. The tongue is a lion; if you gain control of it, you escape, if not, it destroys you. The speech of Ârif shines on your heart, their silence repels trouble. He who is close to Allah is, no doubt, afraid of Him a lot and their adab is a lot. Closeness to Allah entails obedience to Him. To be reluctant to disobey Him is from the fear of Allah.

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It is impossible without work or having good deeds to come close to Allah. Nor is it possible to go to Allah with nafs and passion. For, in the first step, nafs takes one to contempt ion. Know that, property, children, money, ancestry, knowledge, wealth, karama, virtue or good deeds, all are memories. If you praise, glorify and thank Allah and love Him, you receive the divine closeness. If you be negligent and arrogant, you harm yourself.

It does not mean that a dervish should live in seclusion, far away from the society; in contrast, murîds should live among people by doing their worldly works in accordance with halâl and haram, and by not being in negligence of Allah:

I cannot say that do not occupy with the world and nafs, ignore them and withdraw to a mountain top. But, I say that even the works you do for this world should serve you as a means to come close to Allah. I cannot tell you leave trade and art. These are means for your living. However, do not fall into haram and negligence. Again, I cannot tell you to ignore people. Yet, they should not occupy you and prevent you from Allah. Nor can I tell you not to wear beautifully; but do not show off poor people and become arrogant. Clean up your clothes but do not embellish your figures. There should not be oppression and arrogance in your behaviors. Do not mean superiority. In the way of sermon and advice, good conduct is needed. The scent of sunna is here. Who loves Allah, allows himself to become modest, and does not like anything other than Him. Servitude to Allah is an attribute that who has it does not esteem anything other than Him. The perfection of servitude is freedom, which means salvation from submitting yourself to things other than Allah.

Pride and arrogance bring destruction. There is no way to Allah for who despise people and becomes arrogant. All of us are powerless creatures. Is not our beginning filthy water and our end a filthy carcass? The essence of our body is mind. Yet, mind should control the nafs, otherwise it is not called mind. Without essence or mind body is only a substance, and a human being cannot go into a higher level without it. I advise you to keep away from the world. Know that the world is a dream and everything in it will perish. Worldly people help here, the people of the other world helps for hereafter. The beginning of wisdom is fear of Allah. Always be in-between fear and hope. Fear is to be afraid of Allah because of one’s sin that he/she knows. Hope is the satisfaction of heart with good promise. For a real believer, hope and fear should be suitable. Allah forgives sins and accepts repentance, but He is also the stem of punishment. So, one should approach His gate with bowing and go with good deeds to His presence.

As it is well expressed in Sufi literature: by leaving the world, leaving the next world, leaving existence, leaving leaving, one should not loose oneself in this world, not be taken in by the next

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world, not rejoice existence; but should open the heart to its real possessor. The Great Pîr guides his disciples about being among people as following:

Hadrat Ali said that “al-amr bi’l-ma‘rûf wa’n-nahy ani’l-munkar : commanding good and forbidding evil is the best jihad.” Who speaks out and act for what is right and against that which is wrong and does so for the sake of Allah, Allah bestows him. If one does not speak out against wrong, he/she participates in it. To listen to gossip and not to interfere is nothing other than participating in it. This rule is applicable to all that sharî‘a commands to refrain from. In this jihad, the best way is to sermonize or advice kindly without claming superiority. Even if you do not fulfill all the good deeds –ma ‘rûf-, at least do the commanding good, amr-i bi’l-Ma’rûf. Even you do not refrain from all inhibitions, try to obey forbidding evil, Nahy-i ani’l-Munkar. That is the command of our Prophet . The key of the eternal gates is in submission to Rasûllullah .

Ârifs are always in sorrow while people are in joy. But they never fall in despair, they talk little, cry a lot, laugh little and they have no will other than their real Beloved. They do not esteem anything but destruction of shame and sins. Do not engage in things that do not concern you. Watch your nafs from negligence, and keep away from places that cause arrogance. Do never envy; because envy is the source of faults. In fact, when Satan envied Adam (a.s) and despised him, and did not prostrate to him and said to him and his wife Hawwa that “Doubtless I am an adviser to both of you”, Satan was sent away from Allah’s compassion. In this way, lie, arrogance and envy are reasons to be dismissed from the Lord’s gate. So, control your nafs in the way to Allah, and know that everyone’s sustenance is known. If you understand this you do not worry. Know that you are reckoning. If you comprehend this you do not be liar. Do not despise people. Welcome and accept whatever comes from the heaven and the invisible world. Try to help people as much as you can. Have compassion for weak and older people, and who became poor after richness; and give them alms.

And warned us all that:

Our men do not record the ones who do not make reckoning of his/her soul in each breath.

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5. The Legend of Hadrat Pîr

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The most famous legend of Hadrat Pîr is the event of kissing the hand of Fakhr-i ‘Âlam during the time of pilgrimage. In 1160 after performing hajj with some of his relatives,

khulafâ and dervishes, he went to Madîna-i Munawwara. When he saw Madîna he got off from his camel and walked to the Rawda-i Mutahhara. In front of our Master’s tomb he said:

- as-Salâmu alayka ya jaddî (peace be upon you O my ancestor)

He heard with the others who were present from Hadrat Muhammad :

- alayka’s-salâm yâ waladî (upon you be peace O my son) he bended his kneels down and said: Fî hâlati’l-bu’di rûhîy kuntu ursiluhâ, I was sending my spirit to you when I was far away Tukabbilu’l-arda annî wa hiya nâibatî to kiss your earth on behalf of me Wa hâzihî davlatu’l-ashbâhi kad hadarat Now, my body had the chance to do so, Famdud yamînika kay tahzâ bihâ shafatî Would you not give your hand so that my lips rejoice? Then our Master’s hand came out from the tomb which Ahmad ar-Rifâî kissed. While he was holding the hand of Hadrat Muhammad , He told Hadrat Pîr:

O Ahmad, ascend to the prayer-niche “mihrab” to advice and wear black. Haqq did give life to the inhabitants of the heavens with you. This bai‘a is for you and your descendants until the day of resurrection.

All pilgrims heard this talk. After this Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî lied down on the threshold of the gate, called Bâbu’s-Salâm “the door of peace”, and asked people to step on him. The common people stepped on him, but ârifs left from different gates. There, Hadrat Rifâî prayed as following:

“Allahumme zidnî tamkînan wa îmânan wa ma‘rifatan bika wa nabiyyika sallâllahu alayhi wa sallam. (O Allah, increase my deliberation, belief, and my knowledge (irfân) of you and your prophet )”

After people dispersed, Hadrat Pîr said, directing himself towards Hadrat Muhammad : O my ancestor. I could not thank you for this blessing, I would like to ask people, ahl-i tawhid, who admitted your Muhammadian message, to step on me,” then he fainted.

This legend is accepted as a proof of Ahmad ar-Rifâî’s linage to Hadrat Muhammad and his being Succor “Ghawth.” That year more than 90 thousand people were performing pilgrimage and among them were people from awliyâ, ulamâ, fuqâhâ and muhaddithûn, such as Sheikh Hayât b. Qays al-Harrânî, Adî b. Masâfir-i Shâmî, and Abdulqâdir al-Gaylâni. Many books were

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written on hearing the voice and the sight of the hand. Abdu’s-Samîu’l-Hâshimiyyu’l-Wâsitî, a muhaddith, writes in his Sivâdu’l-Aynayn that he witnessed the event, and many awliyâ also had the honor of being witness to it:

“No one knows up to where Ahmad ar-Rifâî ascended but it only is known to which direction he went. He got free of human ties and nafs and passed the levels of description. All saints were asking help from him. His oracle is still current.”

Because of the command during his talk, Hadrat Pîr wore black turban. Today who ascribes oneself to his tarîq wears a black turban. In Tabaqâtu’sh-Sharnûbî, Hadrat Ahmad Sharnûbî writes:

Allah showed Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî east and west, he did not see anyone superior to himself. Sight of all genuine subjects of Allah were shown him. Then, he looked at Lawh-i Mahfûz “preserved tablet,” and saw that he was the first, who came to the earth and concealed his secret. He witnessed a calling from his heart: “I am the only one in the world. I am the first of the walîs. Whole world is under my command. Nobody can possess it, unless with Allah’s will.” He told the ones who ascribed themselves to him: “Do not be afraid or worry, all the earth is yours.” Then he looked at Lawh-i Mahfûz and saw that the cover of the Kaba was black and said: “O my disciples I bequeath you to make black color, symbol of Rifâî order; walk with it in your expeditions. Additionally, include a white peace in it; for, white is the beginning of all things.” Next, he advised his disciples: “O who follows me, make this a symbol that travelers can walk with it and carry it before you.” Who carries it, gains the same reward with the one who does mention Allah (dhikr). That day, who sticks to my word, with the consent of Allah, will be protected and become Sayyid.

The BURHAN “proof” incident also remained from this visit: When Hadrat Pîr kissed

the hand of Rasûlullah and honored with His talk in the garden of the Prophet , “Rawda-i Mutahhara,” in front of almost 90.000 pilgrims, the people that were looking at Rawda, did not have any strength and they almost lost themselves. At this moment, unconsciously, they removed the iron stakes of the tents, took the cutting tools from the counter and embers and started to beat their body with those things and put fire into their mouths. When Hadrat Pîr turned to them after the end of his talk with Rasûlullah , he saw that those things that they beat their bodies did not injure them and fire did not burn them. This was the blessing of the meeting which was from one perspective the miracle of Rasûlullah , and from the other the karâma of Hadrat Pîr. Hadrat Pîr immediately drew some letters and figures from Hadrat Ali’s eulogy, called Qasîda-i Jaljalûtiyya, on sands and took this sand in his hand and scattered it on people who were in ecstasy; thus this state disappeared. They all regained consciousness. Hadrat Pîr lifted up his hands and prayed: “O the Lord, for the memory of this day please let this case be the proof “burhan” of sheikhs who follow my way.” Thus, today and until the day of resurrection, the sheikhs of Rifâî can perform burhan in dhikr maidans – they do not burn if they enter fire; sharp tools do not harm them; things like skewers do not harm them if inserted into their bodies; if they take poison, it does not affect them.

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Each Rifâî sheikh has the competence to show burhan. No preliminary education is required. The permission from Hadrat Pîr through the silsila of the sheikh is enough to show burhan. As it is said by some people that Rifâî burhân is similar to Indian or other mystics’ eccentricity, is not true. Because, while a Rifâî Sheikh can show burhan even on the body of an unbeliever, Indians or the others can show those extraordinary things only on their own bodies. Moreover, to do so, they oppress their nafs and need a long period for preparation. But a Rifâî Sheikh has the competence the day he becomes Sheikh; a secret is transmitted to his heart from Hadrat Pîr.

Nevertheless, the most important burhân in Tarîqat-i Âliyya-i Rıfâiyya is the Muhammadî

character, Muhammadî morality and the Alawî secret. Others are the smallest burhâns of the tarîq. When Hadrat Pîr assigned a khalîfa to a country where there were a lot of âlim, he commanded him to show burhân of words of wisdom and intellect. If knowledge/academics were not prevalent in that place, then he commanded the khalîfa to show burhân using swords, sharp objects and fire.

Burhan is an offer from Hadrat Rifâî only to show people who do not accept the Cause of

all causes. Through it, a sheikh says that fire burns if Allah says burn, sword cuts if Allah says cut etc. Burhan is also seen in some branches of the order of Qâdiriyya, Badawiyya and Sayyâdiyya, yet they all need to take permission of Hadrat Pîr.

***

Another famous legend:

One day a man asks Hadrat Abdulqâdir Gaylânî “O majesty, what is love?” He told him to ask this question Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî and sent him his regards. The man visited Ahmad ar-Rifâî and after offering Abdulqâdir el-Gaylânî’s regards, asked him the question. Hadrat Ahmad ar-Rifâî stood up, began spinning in place, reciting, “Love is fire, love is fire,” then disappeared. As the man witnessed this in bewilderment, Hadrat Abdulqâdir Gaylânî appeared to him and told him to scatter rose water on the spot from where Ahmad ar-Rifâî disappeared. The man did so. After awhile Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî reappeared in the spot, still spinning. When this man returned Baghdad, he related Hadrat Abdulkâdir Gaylânî what transipred. Hadrat Gaylânî asked him: “Have you now seen love? Brother Ahmad ar-Rifâî transcended the levels that many awliyâ could not.”

Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî respected Abdulqâdir Gaylânî very much and told his disciples:

“who arrives at Baghdad and does not visit Hadrat Pîr’s tomb, he is not accepted in the presence of Allah and us.”

*** Another legend is as follows:

When he went up to the seat, knowledge was flowing into his heart and tongue like a sea. In his sohbets bodies were trembling, hearts were in peace, bosoms were open to Light, and eyes

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were full of tears. This kind of thing is neither heard nor related in a book. This wisdom is only given to him by Allah. Thousands of people from different places and occupations were coming to his sermons and listening to him. Allah Taâlâ, blessed his heart with wisdom and sources of knowledge in a peculiar way, as it is mentioned in the Qur’ân “He gives the wisdom whoever He wills.”

*** It is related from Hâja Takyaddin al-Wâsitî that:

Once Sheikh Muhammad al-Qawsî saw Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî in Batâih among some

dervishes, but rejected him. Later on, he saw Rasûlullah in his dream. After praising Hadrat Rifâî, Rasûlullah addresses Muhammad al-Kawsî: “My son Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî is the true knowledge. He educates his disciples with his attitude, rather than his words. Who loves him, loves me. Who oppresses him oppresses me.” When Muhammad al-Kawsî woke up, went trembling to the presence of Hadrat Rifâî; Hadrat Pîr smiles at him and says: “A perfect sheikh educates his disciples with his attitude rather than his words.”

6. Sayings of Hadrat Pîr Our way is built on three things: not asking anything, not refusing what is given and not accumulating asset. Who do not benefit from my deeds, how will they benefit from my words? The sheikh who cannot be with his disciple at the time of his/her death, the angels of Munkar and Nakr questioning him/her, crossing the Sirat Bridge and his/her deeds are weighted, he is not a kâmil, perfect sheikh. Our majlis is the majlis of sorrow and mourning. Because, dervish worries about the days he/she missed. He/she yearns for the virtues he/she missed. He/she hopes and fears from Allah. When it is talked about union, he/she hopes; when he/she hears parting, he/she fears. Whenever people call for him/her, he/she goes; whenever they refuse him/her he/she is busied with crying. Strong dervish is the one who have the power over his/her nafs. A dervish should have some habits such as: not to claim to have knowledge, otherwise his/her nafs draws him/her to destruction; to be patient and not hoping something from people but Allah; to keep secret and not to complain; to do what he/she does for the sake of Allah.

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Dervish should be steady, not inconstant and weak. I wish I did not know anyone, and no one did know me; but I would be among people of peace. My trade is with widow women and orphans. I see my benefit in the service of them. When I see an orphan crying, all my organs start to tremble. If you would like to be safe from calamities, do not go out of Ummu Ubayda’s arcades. To serve dervishes, increases the soundness of certainty. The work is more difficult than you imagine or think. It is astonishing that one reaches sohbet of an Insân and does not find salvation; perhaps he/she will not attain salvation anymore. Who torments a dervish because of his/her poverty, fights with Allah. Read the Qur’ân in fear and destitute. Because there are many who read the Qur’ân but it are cursed by it. The shortest way to Allah is to respect His commands and compassion to his creatures. Sometimes Allah destroys people; and looks kindly at His lovers and has mercy on them. Give advice only to people who have signs to accept them. For, if advice is not taken, weariness appears. Allah wills his servant to have three features: 1. Trust in Allah’s promise 2. To take out everything from heart because of Allah’s destiny 3. To be occupied with knocking the gate of Allah. With fear of Allah comes the reckoning of nafs, with it comes the reflection of Allah, and with it comes the state of being always with Allah. One who looks at a woman who is not his mahram, has no excuse in Allah’s presence. By doing so he becomes audacious to Allah. He, who needs something and cannot come to Ummu Ubada, let him/her walk in the way of Ummu Ubada for Allah’s sake and pray. Allah provides his/her need. Worldly things should come secondarily. There is no way to escape from the other world. It is a distress to deal with things other than the ones for the other world. If one visits Makka, Madina or the tombs of masters and does not feel its affect in his/her belief that means his /her visit is not accepted.

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Do not look at only the exoteric manifestations of the incident of Karbala, try to be familiar with its esoteric meaning.

7. Hadrat Pîr’s Passing and

His Tomb

Hadrat Sayyid Abdurrahîm relates that:

Before Hadrat Sayyid’s passing away I asked him: What would you like us to say about you and what legacy will you bequeath? He said: “Say that every night he thought people being superior to himself before he slept. You know the legacy you ask. I have nothing in this world to bequeath. I bequeath you the heart of created beings.” When he said this, I went to Sheikh Yakûb and told him what Sayyid Ahmad said. He said: Did he bequeath the heart of created beings only to you or to your descent as well? I went back to Hadrat

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Sayyid and asked him. He said: “O my son, to you and to your descent.” When I reported this to Sheikh Yakûb he said: “He is right, he gave you the hearts existing in his time.” Once again I went back to Hadrat Sayyid and reported what Sheikh Yakub told me. He said: “The hearts of the descents in their fathers’ waist are given to you and to your descent.”

It is reported that Sayyid Abdurrahîm (k.s.) asked Hadrat Sayyid:

What would you like us to say about you after you passed away? He said: “Say about your helpless uncle that he never asked people things that he did not do; than recited this verse: “O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do not? Grievously hateful is it in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not.” (Q: 61:2-3)

After a severe diarrhea, Hadrat Ahmad ar-Rifâî passed away in 12 Jamadiyalawwal 578

(2 September 1182). His tomb is in south Baghdad, close to Wâsit. Built up during the period of Abbasid, it was restorated several times. It was destroyed in time and rebuilt with the mosque and tekke in 1869 by Sultan Abdulhamid II with the guidance of Abu’l-Hudâ Efendi.

8. The works attributed to Hadrat Pîr His speeches were collected both during his time and after his passing away and published in a pamphlet or book form. The well-knowns are: al-Burhânu’l-Muayyad composed by Sharafaddin ibn Abdussami’ al-Hâshimî, Majâlis-i Ahmadiyya by Abdalazîm al-Wâsitî, and Kitâbu’l-Hikam by one of his khalîfas Abdussami’ al-Hâshimî. Other works attributed to him are:

1. al-Hikamu’r-Rıfâiyya 2. an-Nizâmu’l-Hâs li-ahli’l-Ikhtisâs 3. Sharh-i Hadîth-i Arbaîn 4. al-Majâlisu’s-Saniyye Hâlatu ahli’l-Haqîqa maa’Allah 5. al-Ash’ar 6. al-Ahzab va’l-Awrâd 7. Kitâbu’l-Hikam 8. Ahzâbu’r-Rifâîyya – lost 9. as-Sirâtu’l-Mustaqîm fî Tafsîr-i Maânî bismillahirrahmânirrahîm – lost 10. ar-Riwâye - lost

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11. at-Tarîq ilallah – lost 12. al-Akâidu’r-Rifâiyya – ms 13. Tafsîru sûrati’l-Kadir – lost 14. Sharhu Tanbîh (commentary on Shirâzî’s work on fiqh) 15. Rahîku’l-Kawsar 16. al-Bahcha fi’l-Fiqh

9. Khulafâ of Hadrat Pîr and the branches of the Rifâî Order

There are hundreds of estimable people who took khirqa from Hadrat Pîr himself. The most famous ones are:

Hadrat Sheikh Muhammad Hadrat Sheikh Fathuddîn-i Makkî Hadrat Sheikh Ibrâhim A’zab Hadrat Sheikh Mujarradu’l-Akbar Hadrat Sheikh Abu’l-Hasan Ali al-Harîrî Hadrat Sheikh Yakûb-u Karrâz Hadrat Sheikh Umar Abu’l-Faraj-i Fârûsî Hadrat Sheikh Abdussamî al-Hâshimî Hadrat Sheikh Abdulazîm al-Wâsıtî Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Ali ibn Usman Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Abdulmuhsin Hadrat Pîr-i Sânî Sayyid Ahmad Izzeddin as-Sayyâdî Hadrat Sheikh Hâja Ahmad al-Yasawî-Turkistânî-Hutanî Hadrat Sheikh Mahmud Hayrânî Hadrat Sheikh Hayat bin Qays Harrânî

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And many others… * Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawî’s silsila with Sheikh Ali bin Nuaym al-Bagdâdî begins with Hadrat Pir. * Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Hasan-i Shâzalî’s silsila through Sheikh Abdussalâm Mashish, Sheikh Abdurrahman al-Madanî and Sheikh Abû Ahmad Jafar bin Sayyid Bulâd al-Huzâî begins with Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Hasan-i Shâzalî’s silsila from Sheikh Abdussalâm Mashish to Sheikh Bariyy Irâqî and through him begins with Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Hasan-i Shâzalî’s silsila from Sheikh Abdussalâm Mashish to Sheikh Bariyy Irâqî and from him to Sheikh Ali bin Nuaym el-Baghdâdî and through him begins with Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Ibrâhim ad-Dussûkî’s silsila from Sheikh Izzaddîn Ahmad al-Fârûsî to Sheikh Abû Ishaq Ibrâhim al-Fârûsî and from him to Sheikh Umar al-Fârûsî and through him begins with Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Muhammad Zaynaddîn al-Hâfî’s silsila from Sheikh Zâhiruddîn Isâ al-Misrî to Sheikh Abdussalâm Kulaybî and from him to Sheikh Abu’l-Fath Wâsıtî and through him begins with Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Sadaddîn al-Jibâvî and his father Sheikh Mazîd ash-Shaybânî took the khirqa from Hadrat Pîr. * Hadrat Pîr Hâja Ahmad al-Yasawî also took the khirqa from Hadrat Pîr.

Since the orders of Tarîqat-i Âliyya-i Badawiyya, Shâzaliyya, Dussûkiyya, Zayniyya, Sâdiyyya and Yasawiyya’s silsilas are linked with Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî, these orders were originated from the Rifâiyya, however, later they were established as separate tarîqs.

The branches of the Rifâiyya Order and their founders

1. Sayyâdiyya: Sheikh Ahmad as-Sayyâd 2. İzzaddînîyya: Sheikh Sayyid Ahmad Izzaddîn al-Basrî 3. Kiyâliyya: Sheikh Ismail al-Kayâlî 4. Nûriyya: Sheikh Nûraddîn al-Hudaysî 5. İzziyya: Sheikh Husayn al-Izzî 6. Fanâriyya: Sheikh Shamsaddin al-Fanârî 7. Burhâniyya: Sheikh Burhânaddîn Ibrahim 8. Fazliyya: Sheikh Jamâladdîn b. Fazl-i Hindî 9. Jandaliyya: Sheikh Jandal b. Muhammad ar-Rifâî 10. Jamîliyya: Sheikh Jamâladdîn Irâqî

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11. Dîrîniyya: Sheikh Izzaddin ad-Dayrînî 12. Atâiyya: Sheikh Muhammad Atiyya ar-Rıfâî 13. Sabsabiyya: Sheikh Sulayman as-Sabsabî 14. Katnâniyya: Sheikh Sayyid Hasan al-Katnânî 15. Imâdiyya: Sheikh Imâmaddîn al-Akbar 16. Ma’rûfiyya: Sheikh Ma’rûfî 17. Ulvâniyya: Sheikh Ahmad al-Ulwân 18. Harîriyya 19. Wâsıtiyya 20. Jabartiyya 21. Ajlâniyya 22. Aziziyya

Dawsiya (Healing rite) in the Âsitâne of Üsküdar

10. Arrival of the Rifâî Order in Istanbul and

Its Passage to Us

Hadrat Pîr declared the spread of his tarîq in Istanbul, three hundred years before the conquest of Istanbul. One of his khulafâs, Yakûb-u Karraz, reported from him:

O Yakûb, I swear Haqq taâlâ that if one of my dervishes suffers exoterically or esoterically, I feel it in my heart. Whenever the wind of love blows from Istanbul, I find its effect on my shoulders. My Mighty Lord will ask all my followers from me; I am responsible for the ones who take refuge in me, and who covenanted with me or with my descendants.

The order of Rifâiyya reached us through Sayyadiyya and Izzaddînî branches. In this chapter,

we will attempt to relate about these two branches and their transmission to us, and thereby the coming of the tarîq to Istanbul.

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The Sayyadiyya branch and its extension to our congregation:

The possessor of the tarîq is Hadrat Muhammad and the Imam of the umma is Hadrat Ali (Q.A.W.). It is called Tarîqat-i Muhammadiyya or Tarîqat-i Âliyya or Tarîqat-i Alawiyya. The absolute mujtahids in Tarîqat-i Muhammadiyya-i Alawiyya are called Pîr. The ones who committed to Pîr’s ijtihad but, also do new ijtihâd are called Pîr-i Sânî, the second Pîr. One of the second Pîrs in Rifâî order is Hadrat Sayyâdî.

The Kaba of the people of state, Ghaws of the people of Allah, Axle of the hour and Treasure of irfân, Sayyid Ahmad Izzaddîn as-Sayyâdî is the son of our Pîr’s daughter, Sayyida Zaynab. The lineage of his father, Hadrat Sayyid Abdurrahîm, and that of Hadrat Pîr coalesces in Hadrat Sayyid Hâdım. Hadrat Pîr-i Sânî Sayyâdî is a Sayyid through both his mother and father. He was born in 574 h. In his formative years, he was under the upbringing of his brother, Hadrat Abu’l-Hasan Abdulmuhsin, and he graduated from his sohbet. He took his fiqh and hadîth lessons from Hadrat Sheikh Abdulmunim Wâsıtî.

His grandfather, Abu’l-Alamayn Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî, during his last moments in this world, called Hadrat Sayyâdî and gave him khilâfa. At that time Hadrat Sayyâdî was 4 years old. Hadrat Pîr praised him, announced good news about him and told that after him, lions (=important persons) would visit Hadrat Sayyâdî, and praised his high post and degree.

Hadrat Sayyâdî was brunette, tall, slim, good-looking and blackened eyes, with wide

forehead. Because of his majesty, dignity, and divine light, people could not look at his face. The sheikhs of our way and ârifs of his time unanimously signified that: “Sayyid Abu Ali Ahmad Izzaddîn as-Sayyâdî never looked up to the sky because of his modesty. He was always in modesty and deep reverence at the presence of Allah. He was crying a lot and speaking a little.”

To provide his livelihood, he was hunting lion. Since Sayyâd in Arabic means “hunter”, he was called with the name Sayyâd. He married his uncle Sayyid Abdussalâm’s daughter, Sayyida Rukayya and from this marriage they had a son, named Sayyid Abdurrahîm. Later on Sayyida Rukayya passed away. When Hadrat Sayyid Ahmad Izzaddîn as-Sayyâdî’s glory spread and people started to talk about him a lot, to refrain from the disaster of fame, he went from Iraq to Hijaz in 622 h. After visiting his ancestor, Rasûlullah , he performed hajj and umra. He stayed nine years in Madîna-i Munawwara, and showed many karama. He built up a Rifâî dergâh in Sakîfatu’r-Rasas, Madina. In one of his speeches Hadrat Pîr-i Sânî Ahmad Izzeddîn as-Sayyâdî said:

I am the sheikh of the regions like Iraq, Sham, Karh, Kirman and Rey. I am the dearest of axles and the ghaws of all created beings. I am the very proof both under the sun and in shadow. I am the son of Ali, cup lion of Husayn and the child of ahl-i bayt with which all difficulties and naughtiness disappear. I am the hunter, the grandchild of Ahmad ar-Rifâî. It is enough as a proof that my falcon hunts hearts. My silsila comes from the most honorable people and reaches the

holy prophet Hadrat Muhammad . Some of the names who took tarîqa from him are:

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* Hadrat Imâm Abdulkarîm bin Muhammad Râfiî Kazwinî * Hadrat Sheikh Alamuddîn bin Muhammad Sahaw * Sheikh Ârif-i billah Tâjuddîn Abidari * Sheikh Sayyid Sadraddin Ali and many others…

Hadrat Sayyâdî went to Egypt in 638 h. and built Masjid-i Husaynî. People tended to his

presence, âlims, sheikhs and notables became his murids. Jamâladdîn Abu Amr Ibnu’l-Hajîb also participated in his majlis and dhkir circles. He had many dervishes, so he built a big dergâh in Mahallatu’s-Sibâ, Egypt. He married Hadrat Durriya Hatun from the family of Salahaddin Eyyûbî and stayed two years in Egypt. Later on when his wife, Hadrat Durriya Hâtun, was pregnant, he emigrated. That year, Hadrat Durriye Hatun’s son, Abû Shubbâk Rifâî, honored this world. Hadrat Abû Shubbâk stayed with his maternal uncles, who were the family of Malik-i afdal. The Rifâî tarîq was spread in Egypt and neighboring countries by Hadrat Sayyâdî’s son and it continued to this day.

After Egypt, Hadrat Sayyâdî went to Yaman and then Damascus and settled down there. There he built Zâviyetü’r-Rıfâî in Maidânu’l-Hisâ. Later on, he left Damascus and went to Matkin, a village of Ma’arratu’n-Nu’mân in Halab, in 643 h. In Matkin, there lived Sheikh Abdurrahman bin Ulvan, an ascetic Sufi. Pîr-i Sânî married his sister Hadrâ Ummu’l Hayr. His descendants from Hadrat Ummu’l-Hayr still live in the neighborhood of Damascus. Our great sheikh Sayyâdîzâde Sayyid Abdullah al-Hâshimî’s lineage was from children of Hadrat Sayyâdî from his wife Ummu’l-Hayr.

Hadrat Pîr-i Sâni built up many zâviyes and dergâhs in Damascus and Humus. He

submitted Humus to his disciple Hadrat Sheikh Jamâladdin bin Muhammad Amir. Among the ones who took tarîq from him was Sayyid Sharîf Ghaws Imâmuddîn bin Sayyid Sharafiddîn Sharafî-Husaynî-Harrânî. Many people from Iraq, Maghrib, Hijaz and Yaman came to Hadrat Sayyâdî and became his disciples. The number of his disciples was more than 200.000. Hadrat Allah showed many oracles through his hand. For example, when people were exposed to drought, they prayed through him for rain and with his blessing it rained. He passed away in 670 h. when he was 99 years old. His tomb is in Sayyâd, Syria. Kaddasallahu sırrahulazîz.

He reported from his ancestor Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî that: “We are ahl-i bayt (=household coming from this lineage). Our flesh is poisonous; who smells it, gets sick; who bites it, dies.”

Imâm Abdulkarîm Rafi’î wrote in his Sawâdu’l Aynayn: Sheikh Abû Zakariyyâ Jamâladdîn Himsî told me that his Sheikh Imâm Sayyid Ahmad Izzaddîn as-Sayyâdî reported from his grandfather Sultan Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî, when he was giving sermon in Ummu Ubayda:

The end of my sermons is coming close. Listen carefully. People who are here let the others, who are absent, know that: who invents something new in this way according to his own will and

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reason; who invents new things which do not have origin in the religion; who claims about the issue of wahda, union; who sees himself superior to others and lies; who deals with words unclear to him reported from Sufis; who likes lie and likes the ones who lie; who stays alone with an unfamiliar women without any excuse; who covets others’ honor and properties; who does discrimination among awliyâ; who is offended without any excuse; who helps an oppressor and does not support oppressed; who does contradict a truth and confirms a lie; who acts worthlessly; that person is not from me. I am far away from him, and so is Allah. Allah is the witness of my sayings.

The tomb of Hadrat Sayyâdî

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(Left to Right: Sheikh Sayyid Abdullah al-Hâshimî, Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad al-Ansârî, Sheikh Sayyid

Muhyiddin al-Ansârî, Sheikh Jamâlî ar-Rifâî, our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî)

The Extension of the Sayyadiyya branch to our congregation:

Coming from Hadrat Pîr-i Sânî as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Ahmad Izzaddîn as-Sayyâdî ar-

Rifâî’s lineage, as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Muhammad Azîm al-Hâshimî as-Sayyâdî ar-Rifâî’s son, as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Abdullah al-Hâshimî as-Sayyâdî ar-Rifâî was born in 1795 in Makka-i Mukarrama.

Hadrat Sayyid Abdullah al-Hâshimî was the disciple of his father, Sayyid Muhammad

Azîm al-Hâshimî. After his sayr-i sulûk from his father, he received khilâfa from the order of Rifâî-Sayyâdî, Qâdirî, Badawî, Shâzalî, Sâdî, Nakshibandî and Mawlavî. Later on, he went to Madina-i Munawwara and took another Rifâî-Sayyâdî khilâfa from as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Hasan ar-Rifâî and as-Sayyid ash-Sheikh Sâlim ar-Rifâî. The family of Hâshimî-Sayyâdî in Makka-i Mukarrama and Madîna-i Munawwara had many services to the Tarîqat-i Âliyya-i Rifâiyya. This family also became the central dergâh of Rifâiyya-i Sayyâdiyya in Syria, Iraq and their neighboring countries.

Hadrat Sayyid Abdullah al-Hâshimî went from Hijaz to Afghanistan and stayed there

twenty years and spread the order of Rifâiyya. Then he went to Istanbul, where Sultan Abdulhamid II did many favors to him. He was designated by the Sultan Sheikhu’l-Akbar (the great Sheikh) and Nâkibu’l-Ashraf (the head of Sayyids) in inner Anatolia.

Hadrat Hâshimî did irshâd in many places of Anatolia, and settled in Sivas until the end

of his life. He married Halime Hanimefendi, when he was 65 years old in Sivas. They had three children: Sayyid Muhammad Ragıb, Sayyid Ahmad Sirâjaddîn and Sayyida Fatima Zahra. Sayyid Muhammad Ragıb Efendi later sat on the post of Hadrat Hâshimî. After Halima Hanımefendi passed away, Hadrat Hâshimî married Fâtımagül Hanımefendi, but they did not have children.

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(Third from left: Hadrat Sayyid Abdullah al-Hâshimî at

the Sivas Congress – the founding of the Republic of Turkey)

Hadrat Hâshimî participated in the 1919 congress in Sivas and supported Mustafa Kemal

Pasha. He was the guest of Hadrat Hâshimî during his stay in Sivas, and was rescued from an assassination by him. During the Sivas congress, delegates’ food was provided in the dergâh. When Hadrat Hâshimî passed away, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk sent a telegraph to his family, and, as an expression of his gratitude, some money to be used in his funeral. Besides being a model of Muhammadian morality, Hadrat Hâshimî also did some worldly karamas. He passed away at the age of 127 in October 13, 1922, in Sivas.

as-Sayyid ash-Sharîf ash-Sheikh Sharâfaddin al-Ansârî el-Qâdirî, who was a post-nishîn

in the dergâh of Hazdrat Pîr Sayyid Abdulkâdir Gaylânî, had a son in 1860/1277 h., in Baghdad. He was named Sayyid Muhammad al-Ansârî. Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad el-Ansârî had traveling and social conduct on the Path, “sayr wa sulûk”, from his father and received his Qâdirî khilâfa. Being Hasanî and Husaynî, he was one of the grandchildren of Rasûlullah .

Upon a spiritual command, he went from Baghdad to Erzincan, Anatolia; and again upon

a spiritual command, he went to Sivas and took Rifâî-Sayyâdî khilâfas from Hadrat Hâshimî. After that, he was sent to Istanbul by Hadrat Hâshimî. While Hadrat Muhammad el-Ansârî was in Erzincan, he married Vesile Hanımefendi; and they had two children: Sayyid Aziz el-Ansârî and Our Sheikh Sayyid Muhyiddîn el-Ansârî. By the end of 19th century, the Ansârî family went to Kasımpaşa, Istanbul. They rebuilt the Ayn-i Ali Baba Qâdirî dergâh in Kasımpaşa. There Rifâî-Kâdirî sheikhs were designated. Until he passed away, Hadrat Hâshimî visited Istanbul and Sayyid Muhammad el-Ansârî’s dergâh many times and left unforgettable memories.

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Hadrat Muhammad el-Ansârî was known in Istanbul as the Arab Sheikh, and was widely esteemed. People believed his breath and glance to posses healing powers; and of him being an Insân-i Akmal, a perfect man. Hadrat Muhammad el-Ansârî performed the ancient Rifâî and Qâdirî rituals in detail, sent khalîfas to Anatolia. He passed away in October 14, 1939. His tomb is in Kulaksız Cemetery in Istanbul.

Hadrat Sayyid’s younger son Sayyid Muhyiddîn el-Ansârî was a dervish of his father when he was a child. Besides learning marifatullah, he studied law and joined the Army. He was honored with veteran medal after the Independence War. When he was 21 years old, he was designated as a post-nishîn to the Bartın Rifâî dergâh by his father and murshid Sayyid Muhammad el-Ansârî. He was in this post until tekkes were outlawed in 1925. After 1925, he continued his service in the army and retired as a senior major. In the1950s he rebuilt the dergâh of his father and sat on his father’s post. He passed away on January 9, 1978 at Kasımpaşa Military Hospital, Istanbul. His tomb is also in the Kulaksız Cemetery in Istanbul.

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(Left: Hadrat Sayyid Muhyiddîn al-Ansârî’s tomb in Istanbul, Turkey;

Right, ordained a sheikh at age 21) In 1976 Hadrat Muhyiddîn called Sheikhu’l-Mashâyikh of the Balkans, Sheikh Jamâlî

Jamâladdin and gave him Rifâî-Sayyâdî and Qâdirî khilâfas. In July 9, 1999 Sheikh Jamâlî Jamâladdin ar-Rifâî as-Sayyâdî gave khilafa to our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâi el-Qâdirî from Sayyâdiyya and Qâdiriyya in Chicago and charged him with irshâd.

Thus, the Rifâî-Sayyâdî branch, came from Basra through Syria, Makka, Madina,

Afghanistan, Sivas, Istanbul, Kosovo to Chicago, is today perpetuated by our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî al-Qâdirî.

Our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâi al-Qâdirî.

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(Left to Right: Sheikh Sayyid M. Jamaladdin ar-Rifâî, Sheikh Adem Nuri ar-Rifâi, Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi

ar-Rifâi, Sheikh J. Jamali ar-Rifâî, our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî)

The Izzaddîniyya branch and its extension to our congregation:

Tarîqat-i Âliyya-i Rifâiyya came to Anatolia in the 13th century with Sayyid Ahmad-i Küçek and Sayyid Mahmûd-u Hayrânî. Sayyid Ahmad-i Küçek went from Basra to Konya. He was a contemporaneous of Hadrat Mevlâna. Later on, Hadrat Mawlânâ’s grandchild, Hadrat Ulu Ârif Çelebi, gave Sayyid Ahmad-i Küçek khilâfa from Mawlawiyya and helped him open Rifâî dergâhs in Anatolia.

The spread of the Rifâî order in Istanbul started with Sayyid Muhammad Hadîdî in the

16th century, and this branch is called Izzaddînî. One of Yavuz Sultan Selim’s Sheikhülislâms and the grandchildren of Hadrat Pîr Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifâî, Hadrat Sayyid Ali Alâaddin ar-Rifâî seems to be the oldest Rifâî Sheikh in Istanbul. But, his silsila did not continue, so, we accept the 16th century to be the beginning of Rifâî order in Istanbul. Here is the silsila of khalîfa Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad ar-Rifâî: Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Abdurrahman Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Ahmad Izzaddîn al-Basrî (Izzaddînîyya branch) Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Shamsaddin Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Rajab Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Hasan Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Husayn Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Rajab Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Ishaq Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Yakûb Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Yûsuf Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Tâlib Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Hâshim Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Sulayman Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Abdullah Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Ali Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Mahdî Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Ibrâhim’s khalîfa Hadrat Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Hadîdî ar-Rifâî (He was born in Basra. He went to Istanbul and performed the first Rifâî liturgy in Üsküdar.)

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The first Rifâî liturgy was performed in Tevâşî Hasan Ağa Mosque, Üsküdar. This was the first appearance of the order in Istanbul. This mosque is still in Üsküdar, Tevâşî Hasan Ağa quarter, Gündoğumu street. After 1592, Hadrat Hadîdî left his khalîfa, Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad al-Masânî, in Istanbul and went to Damascus and there he passed away. His tomb is in Rîha village, Damascus.

Sheikh Yâsin (or Yesî), who comes from the silsila of Sayyid Masânî, also performed some ijtihâds and was a post-nishîn in the âsitâne (known as Üsküdar Rifâî Âsitânesi) which he built in Üsküdar across the Tevâşî mosque. He passed away after moving to Damascus. Sheikh Yâsin’s khalîfas in Istanbul were three: Sheikh Osman Himâyeti, Sheikh Hocazâde Muhammad Tâhir Efendi (Paşa baba) and Sheikh Sâdık Efendi. In the Üsküdar Rıfâî Âsitâna khalîfas of Sheikh Muhammad Tâhir Efendi were the post-nishîns until 1925. The tomb of Sheikh Muhammad Tâhir Efendi (Paşa Baba) is in Tophane, Firuz Ağa quarter, in the garden of Paşa Baba Tekke. In the Üsküdar Rıfâî Âsitâna, the last sheikh descending from Paşa Baba’s silsila was Sheikh Ahmad Ziyaeddin Efendi.

Sheikh Hüseyin Hüsnü Sarıer Ceyhun ar-Rifai

After Ahmad Ziyaeddin Efendi, Zileli Hacı Bekir Baba’s (who was the khalîfa of Sayyid Abudllah el-Hâshimî) khalîfa Sheikh Hüseyin Hüsnü Sarıer Ceyhun was designated by Majlis-i Mashâyikh to the post of Âsitâne. Hadrat Hüsnü Sarıer was the last post-nishîn of this Âsitâne.

One of the khalîfas of Hadrat Osman Himâyeti’s khalîfa, Hadrat İbrahim Sabri Karadestâri (Karaturbanlı)’s silsila in the 19th century was Sheikh Sayyid Mustafa Muhyiddîn ar-Rifâî. He was designated as a post-nishîn to the dergâh which was built by Sheikh Abdülhalîm ar-Rifâî in Yeşil Tulumba, Unkapanı. Sheikh Abdülhalîm Efendi did not leave a khalîfa to his dergâh, so Sayyid Mustafa Muhyiddîn er-Rıfâî was designated to this dergâh from the Karadestârî silsila. This dergâh was the Âsitâne (central dergâh) of Rifâî Izzaddînî silsila which reached our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî.

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The Tomb of Sheikh Sayyid Mustafa ar-Rifâî in Istanbul, Turkey

With the khalîfa of Sheikh Sayyid Mustafa ar-Rifâî, namely, Sheikh Mûsâ Muslihiddin

ar-Rifâî, the Rifâî order reached the Balkans in the 19th century.

Sheikh Mûsâ Muslihiddîn was the post-nishîn in the dergâh, which was built in 1870 in Yakova, until he passed away in 1917.

His son, Hadrat Âdem Nuri gave bai‘a to his father, did his sayr-u sulûk and then went

to Istanbul. There, in the Âsitâna of Unkapanı (Abdülhalîm Efendi Dergâhı) he took khirqa from Hâfız Sheikh Sayyid Muhammad Jamâladdîn ar-Rıfâî, who was his father’s murshid Sheikh Sayyid Mustafa Muhyiddîn’s khalîfa and the post-nishîn of the dergâh at that time. Then he returned Yakova. In Yakova, he gave khilâfa to his brother, Danyal Efendi, and set on the father’s post. He also gave khilâfa to Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi. Next, he went to Berat-İşkodra of Albania and there passed away in 1938. His tomb is in the dergâh that he built.

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The son of Sheikh Jamâladdîn and the khalîfa of Sheikh Âdem Nuri, Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi became the post-nishîn of the dergâh which was built by his father in Prizren, Kosovo. In 1953, he gave khilâfa to his son Jamâlî Jamâladdîn ar-Rifâî. When he passed away in 1969, he left Sheikh Jamâlî Jamâladdîn ar-Rifâî to his place.

Sitting on the left Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi ar-Rifâî; on the right Jamâlî Jamâladdîn ar-Rifâî when

he was ordained a sheikh in 1953

After Hadrat Sheikh Jamâlî Jamâladdîn assumed his father’s post in 1969, he enlarged the

structure of the dergâh, and led the revitalization of Rifâî dergâhs in the Balkans. In the time of old Yugoslavia, Ulamâ petitioned the government to transform dergâhs into mosques. Faced with this threat, our Master Sheikh Jamâlî brought 38 Sheikhs together. With their votes he became the Sheikhu’l-Mashâîkh, the head of Sheikhs in the Balkans. With the other sheikhs he prepared a treatise explaining the role of tarîqa in religion. He explained that both mosques and tarîqa had their own functions and both were needed. Noting that they were complements, rather than alternatives, he petitioned for the continued autonomy of dergâhs. In the end the government accepted the petition and the autonomy of all dergâhs were extended legal protection.

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Sheikh Jamâlî Jamâladdîn ar-Rifâî perpetuated carefully the ancient Rifâî system and rituals. He also published a monthly journal, called Derviş Mecmuası –Dervish Journal-, to give information about tarîqa; and many sheiks contributed to it.

In 1976, he received a message from Sheikh Sayyid Muhyiddîn al-Ansârî, called him to Istanbul for the purpose of taking a keepsake Sheikh Sayyid Muhyiddîn al-Ansârî intended to give him. Sheikh Jamâlî in turn went to Istanbul to see Sayyid Muhyiddîn al-Ansârî, who was by then bed stricken with illness. After praising him, Hadrat Muhyiddîn gave him the signed and sealed Rifâi-Sayyadî and Qâdirî khilâfatnâme. Until this point, he was only Sheikh from the Izzaddînî branch which he had received from his father, Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi. After that day, he became Sheikh also from the silsila of Rifâi-Sayyâdî and Qâdirî. Until 1999, Sheikh Jamâlî gave khilâfa only from his father’s (Hadrat Hüseyin Hilmi’s) silsila, the Izzaddînî branch.

On July 9, 1999, he gave both khilafas (that he had taken from Sheikh Hüseyin Hilmi,

Rifâî-Izzaddînî, and the one from Sayyid Muhyiddin el-Ansârî, Rifâî-Sayyadî and Qâdirî) to our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî, who had been guided spiritually with an Uwaysi enigma by Sayyid Muhyiddin el-Ansârî since his childhood. He submitted these three khilâfas for the first time in an oral and written way of the tarîqa to our Sheikh, in Chicago. From that day forth, until his passing on December 7, 2004, Sheikh Jamâlî did not bestow anyone else khilâfa from Rıfâî-Sayyadî and Qâdirî.

Our Grand Sheikh Jamâlî Jamâladdîn ar-Rifâî and our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî in Kosovo, 2000

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Our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rıfâî al-Kâdirî was born in Nişantaşı, Istanbul. His paternal grandparents were Baktâshî. They were the dervishes of Ahmad Sırrı Dedebaba, the last post-nishîn of the dergâh of Kaygusuz Sultan in Egypt. He was engaged in spirituality since his formative years. He attended sohbets of his grandmother’s last Sheikh, when he was in primary school and benefited from him a lot. During his secondary school years, upon a dream, he was introduced spiritually to Hadrat Sayyid Muhyiddin al-Ansârî, who had passed away in 1978. The Hadrat gave our Sheikh bai‘a and started to guide him on the path of Tarîqat-i Rifâiyya and Qâdiriyya, through an Uwaysî channel. While our Sheikh was in his last year in the middle school, he began to give sohbet to a group of Rifâî and Qâdirî dervishes for two years with Hadrat Muhyiddîn’s guidance.

In 1998, he moved to the United States of America. At that time, Hadrat Sheikh Jamâlî

was in Chicago visiting his dervishes. Our Sheikh met him and in 1999, Sheikh Jamâlî bestowed all the khilafas he had (both the Rifâi silsila from Unkapanı and Rifâî-Sayyâdî and Qâdirî) to our Sheikh. The bestowal of this trust to Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî offered the explanation to the the khilâfa given by Sayyid Muhyiddîn el-Ansârî to Sheikh Jamalî in 1976, even though he had had one from his father. Today, Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî continues to serve our masters with dhikr and sohbet meetings.

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Rifâî Tekkes in Istanbul The name of the Rifâî dergâhs and their districts in Istanbul up until 1925, when Sufi practice was outlawed: 1. Rıfâî Âsitânesi: Üsküdar 2. Karaturbanlı İbrahim Sabri Efendi Dergâhı: Küçük Mustafa Paşa 3. Ayn-i Ali Baba: Kasımpaşa 4. Yeşil Tulumba (Abdülhalîm Efendi Dergâhı): Unkapanı 5. Paşababa: Firuzağa 6. Sheikh Râşid Efendi: Fatih-Kadıçeşme 7. Sheikh Ârif Efendi: Fatih-Hüsrevpaşa 8. Kubbe: Fatih 9. Tahtaminare: Karagümrük 10. Sheikh Sırrı: Fatih-Sofular 11. Sheikh Kâmil: Avrat Pazarı 12. Şerbetdâr: Taşkasap 13. Osman Efendi: Topkapı-Beyazıt Mahallesi 14. Remli: Şehremini 15. Hulvi Efendi: Şehremini 16. Sheikh Hulvânî: Bozdoğan Kemeri 17. Saraç İshak: Beyazıt 18. Karababa: Çemberlitaş 19. Seyyah (Siyah) Sheikh: Kabasakal 20. Cündiharem: Altı Mermer 21. Çırakçı: Küçük Mustafa Paşa 22. Said Çavuş: Küçük Mustafa Paşa

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23. Kenzî Bey: Hırka-i Sharîf 24. Sheikh Abdullah: Odabaşı 25. Vani Efendi: Şehremini 26. Karanohut: Fatih-Halıcılar Köşkü 27. Mercimek-Alaca Mescid: Langa-Yenikapı 28. Matrak: Mevlânakapı 29. Alyanak Ali Efendi: Lâlezâr 30. Safî Efendi: Topkapı 31. Sultan Osman: Otakçılar 32. Yahyâzade: Eyyub Sultan 33. Sheikhülislâm: Eyyub Sultan 34. Hasib Efendi: Eyyub Sultan 35. Arabacıbaşı: SultanAhmed 36. Kirpasi: Dökmeler-Eyyub Sultan 37. Çürüklük: Kasımpaşa 38. Ali Fevzi Efendi: Kasımpaşa 39. Arasta: Kasımpaşa 40. Mârufî: Kasımpaşa 41. Mârûfî Âsitânesi: Kartal 42. Sancaktar (Sheikh Nuri Camii): Kozyatağı 43. Karaturbanlı: Dolmabahçe 44. Tarsusî: Mevlânakapı 45. Kılıçcı Muhammad: Mevlânakapı 46. Kulcu Muhammad: Mevlânakapı-Evliya Mahallesi 47. Kelâmi: Odabaşı-Yayla 48. Sandıkçı: Üsküdar-Tabutçular 49. Nusret Efendi: Tophane 50. Sheikh Mahmud: Üsküdar-Ahmadiye Camii 51. Sheikh Hüseyin Efendi: Üsküdar 52. Sheikh Nuri (Kurban Nasuh): Üsküdar-Debbağlar 53. Cerrahpaşa Camii: Cerrahpaşa 54. Sheikh Abdülhalîm Efendi: Erenköy 55. Sheikh Ebu’l-Hüda: Beşiktaş 56. Ümmü Ken’an: Fatih

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Our Sheikh Kahraman ar-Rifâî el-Qadiri

Bibliography: * Documents, records, pictures and manuscripts form the archive of Our Sheikh Kahraman ar-

Rifâî * Ahmed Nezih Galitekin. Osmanlı Kaynaklarına Göre İstanbul. * Abu’l-Hudâ as-Sayyâdî. Tarîqat-i Rifâiyya. * Abu’l-Kasım Ibnu’s-Sayyid İbrahim Berzenci. İcâbetü’d Daî. * Ali bin Hasan al-Wâsitî. Khulâsatu’l-Iksîr. * Cemâleddin Server Revnakoğlu. İstanbul Tekkeleri Hakkında Notlar. * Hadrat Pîr Ahmed er-Rıfâî. el-Burhanü’l-Müeyyed (Trnas. into Turkish by Kudsizâde) * Hür Mahmut Yücer. Osmanlı Toplumunda Tasavvuf 19.yy. * Hüseyin Vassaf. Sefîne-i Evliyâ. * Imam Jalâladdin Suyûti. ash-Sharafu’l-Muhattam. * Izzuddîn Ahmad al-Fârûsî. Irshâdu’l-Muslimîn li-Tarîqat-i Sheikhü’l-Muttaqîn. * Kâzım Büyükaksoy. Hak Yolu’nun Önderleri. * Kazarûnî. Shifâu’l-Askam fî Sîrat-i Ghaws-i An’am. * Ken’an Rıfâî. Ahmed er-Rıfâî. * Kudsizâde Kadri Efendi. Terceme-i Hâl-i Hazeti Pîr Ahmed er-Rıfâî. * Mehmed Ali Okhan. Sayyid Ahmed Rufai. * Metin İzzeti. Balkanlarda(Tasavvuf."* Mustafa Tahralı. “Ahmed er-Rıfâî” TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi. * Sheikh Abdulkarîm bin Muhammad Barzanji. Sawâdu’l-Aynayn. * Sheikh Âdem Nûrî ar-Rifâî. Erkânnâme-i Rfâiyye. * Selami Şimşek. Edirneli Kabûlî Mustafa Efendi. * Sayyid Salih Yeşil. Rehber-i Tekaya. * Sâlim Yorgancıoğlu. Üsküdar Dergahları. (with the revision of Prof.Dr. Ahmed Yüksel

Özemre) * Yunus eş-Sheikh İbrahim es-Samarrâî. Es-Sayyid Ahmed er-Rıfâî.

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Madad Yâ Rifâî al-madad…

HÛ